Singapore has the world’s worst taxi drivers

[nutnut]

Taxi drivers are worse to drive against than to be driven by IMO... At least when you're in the car you can ask them to slow down/stay in lane/stop tailgating/stop revving the engine etc etc. If you are driving a car (I don't any more) then you are at the mercy of the side swipers, tailgaters and other such mentalists very much like the video game....

[sundaymorningstaple]

^^^^ +1

[the lynx]

Taxi drivers are worse to drive against than to be driven by IMO... At least when you're in the car you can ask them to slow down/stay in lane/stop tailgating/stop revving the engine etc etc. If you are driving a car (I don't any more) then you are at the mercy of the side swipers, tailgaters and other such mentalists very much like the video game....

Ooh I love that video game! Always aced the scores with my sandwich moves and air time stunts when I got hooked to it in high school.

Note: Never let me be a taxi driver

[nutnut]

Note: Never let me be a taxi driver

Yes, I think that would be wise!

[Lauder2012]

OMG, what a whole load of rubbish!

"In Australia and New York they allow non Australians and non Americans to take the roles and the service and knowledge of the city is better than Singaporeans of Singapore" - this statement is simply untrue in my experience.

I lived in Australia for 9 years and New York and have to say, the taxi service is by far much better than either Australia or New York, what was that guy smoking, whilist writing the article, unreal!

Keep up the service Singapore taxi drivers, it is much appreciated, it is not an easy job and especially with picking up customers like Chris Reed!

[sundaymorningstaple]

I would say four months in Singapore is not sufficient time to make that kind of judgement, frankly. And I have lived in New Youk, New Orleans, Baltimore & Washington DC. and have worked for a spell in Australia (but living in Singapore so totally dependent on taxi support while in Aus). I'd take any of them over the local taxis. That is the taxi drivers not the traffic jams, which is another story altogether.

[nutnut]

Yeah, the traffic "jams" in SG are really not that bad at all! It's great how they hardly even had stationary cars in them!

I spoke to a taxi driver the other day, he was courteous and a good driver, he told me he'd driven taxis in HK, Jakarta and Singapore and Singapore is the worst that he's ever had to drive in, in regards to other road users.

[v4jr4]

I spoke to a taxi driver the other day, he was courteous and a good driver, he told me he'd driven taxis in HK, Jakarta and Singapore and Singapore is the worst that he's ever had to drive in, in regards to other road users.

Really? I will assume that taxi driver was at Jakarta around 15-20 years ago. If he goes to Jakarta now, I'm pretty sure that he will get auto-HBP.

[revhappy]

From what I heard, American taxi drivers expect tips and if you dont tip them properly you are asking for trouble.

Couple of stories that I heard:
An Indian, 1st day in the states got into a taxi and on getting to the destination gave the driver exact change, the driver got angry and just drove away with the passenger's luggage and then after sometime came back to the same spot and told the passenger "You need your luggage, better pay my tip"

Another story:
My department head in the US a Taiwanese chinese once got into a taxi and the fare was like $9.90. The passenger gave him 10$ and just got out of the taxi and started walking. The taxi driver called him out and flicked a 10cents coin on his face.

I would say Singaporean Taxi drivers are much more humble in comparison

[the lynx]

From what I heard, American taxi drivers expect tips and if you dont tip them properly you are asking for trouble.

Couple of stories that I heard:
An Indian, 1st day in the states got into a taxi and on getting to the destination gave the driver exact change, the driver got angry and just drove away with the passenger's luggage and then after sometime came back to the same spot and told the passenger "You need your luggage, better pay my tip"

Another story:
My department head in the US a Taiwanese chinese once got into a taxi and the fare was like $9.90. The passenger gave him 10$ and just got out of the taxi and started walking. The taxi driver called him out and flicked a 10cents coin on his face.

I would say Singaporean Taxi drivers are much more humble in comparison

Now that we are on it, is the pay structure of a taxi driver in USA is the same as, say, of a waitress (in USA too)? I get it if you are expected to tip when you dine in restaurants in USA (because that is the waitress' actual pay) but is it the same with the taxi drivers there?

[morenangpinay]

so how much time does chris reed have before he gets the boot from the gov.?or before a witch hunt happens?

[sundaymorningstaple]

From what I heard, American taxi drivers expect tips and if you dont tip them properly you are asking for trouble.

Couple of stories that I heard:
An Indian, 1st day in the states got into a taxi and on getting to the destination gave the driver exact change, the driver got angry and just drove away with the passenger's luggage and then after sometime came back to the same spot and told the passenger "You need your luggage, better pay my tip"

Another story:
My department head in the US a Taiwanese chinese once got into a taxi and the fare was like $9.90. The passenger gave him 10$ and just got out of the taxi and started walking. The taxi driver called him out and flicked a 10cents coin on his face.

I would say Singaporean Taxi drivers are much more humble in comparison

Now that we are on it, is the pay structure of a taxi driver in USA is the same as, say, of a waitress (in USA too)? I get it if you are expected to tip when you dine in restaurants in USA (because that is the waitress' actual pay) but is it the same with the taxi drivers there?

Wait personnel, beauticians, hairdresser, manicurists, taxi driver, even the hotel housekeeper are paid low because we don't have cess & service charges built into the charges. And unlike here, the service provider keeps their tips and does not put in into a pool like is done here (with the owner keeping a share as well!). If it's a good waiter/waitress they will take care of the busboys as well. But again service personnel are there by choice. Here they are there between jobs or cause they can't get a job anywhere else. Big difference in the attitude when it's a profession. So, if they give the service and you give 'em the shaft, you get what's coming.

[revhappy]

Just read the article, wonder why the author favors Indian drivers so much, haha

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, it was a pretty backhanded slap wasn't it.

Of course I guess you could read it both ways if you tried hard enough!

[Smilla1978]

having spent ten years getting taxis in Melbourne and 2.5 years getting taxis here, I would say that taxis are many many times better here than in Melbourne.

Sure you get the odd idiot here, but on the whole Melbourne taxi drivers are useless.

Though I do get the right/left disconnect here all the time (as well as the two/three disconnect). I just put it down to my accent.